


Coffee Coffee Coffee

by Perpetual Motion (perpetfic)



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-10
Updated: 2014-05-10
Packaged: 2018-01-24 05:09:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1592747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perpetfic/pseuds/Perpetual%20Motion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pepper, Maria, Natasha, and lattes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coffee Coffee Coffee

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kat8cha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kat8cha/gifts).



> Self-beated. All corrections requested will give you one free ticket to request a fic.

“Shit,” Duncan says as the front door of the coffee shop opens.

“Wh—shit,” Ellen says as she turns to see why Duncan is freaked out. “It’s lattes, right? Three lattes?”

“One caramel, one vanilla, and one with an espresso shot,” Duncan replies. “All large.”

“On it.”

“Good afternoon,” Duncan greets the woman who walks up maybe too cheerfully. “What will it be?”

“Carmel latte, vanilla latte, and a regular latte with an espresso shot, all large,” Pepper says, and she can’t help but smile at the way the college kid behind the counter seems nervous. Maria had picked up the drinks the last time they were all in town together, and it was only to be expected.

“Carmel, vanilla, and espresso shot larges,” the kid says. “Anything else?”

“No, thank you.” Pepper hands over her credit card before the kid can give a final total. He runs it and hands back the receipt, to which Pepper adds a one-to-one tip. “Thank you,” she says as she moves down the counter, and the kid tries to look like he’s not scared to hell.

The woman making the drinks is maybe as much intimidated but better able to keep her cool. She produces the three lattes within ten seconds of each other, and announces them without a hitch.

“Do you want to keep working here?” Pepper asks her as she collects the drinks, shaking her head at the offered carry tray.

“Not really,” the woman replies. 

“What’s your degree in?”

“Ethics.”

“Any particular sub-field?”

“Business Ethics.”

Pepper sets down the drinks, opens her purse, and takes a business card from the inside pocket. She hands it to the woman. “Call and make an appointment for three weeks from now,” she says. “I’m busy until then.” She picks up the drinks again and leaves the store.

Ellen waits until she’s halfway across the patio and then screeches at the top of her lungs. “OH MY GOD SHE’S PEPPER POTTS. I JUST IMPRESSED PEPPER POTTS WITH A LATTE AND GOT AN INTERVIEW.”

On the patio, Pepper laughs but doesn’t lose hold of the drinks. Maria and Natasha are waiting for her, and it’s an unforgiveable sin to dump good coffee.

“You just gave another Philosophy major your card, didn’t you?” Natasha asks.

“She was a business ethics major,” Pepper replies as she sets down the drinks. When she sits, Maria and Natasha both adjust how they’re sitting so their legs are pressing against hers. “Oh,” Pepper says, “I didn’t realize it was territorial Wednesday.”

“It’s territorial every day when you’ve been traveling for three weeks,” Maria says.

Pepper looks at Natasha. “And you concur on this ruling?”

“I’m not going to argue against my supervisor,” Natasha says with a straight face.

Maria snorts, then laughs. “Oh, if only I recorded these conversations.”

Natasha shifts how she’s sitting, and Pepper knows without looking that Natasha’s other leg is pressed against Maria’s. “You wouldn’t dare,” Natasha says.

Maria settles herself into a smile with no laughter and says, “No, I would not.”

“I know,” Natasha says.

Pepper wants to kiss them both. Instead, she raises her latte-with-espresso-shot and says, “To good taste.”

Natasha and Maria touch their paper cups to hers, and they all drink.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the exact prompt described in the summary. I do so like a good latte.


End file.
